# "or so" how long? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 17, 2012, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/or-so-how-long/609771 "2012-01-17T04:43:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/or-so-how-long/609771/21 "2012-01-18T15:48:39Z")
12% of the original time period stated. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/or-so-how-long/609771/22 "2012-01-18T20:44:39Z")
> [@Shmendrik](#): > > “A month or so” means closer to a month than to another convenient approximation like a week or two months. I agree with this. It seems related to the next smaller common unit of time. “A month or so” means 1 month +/- a week. Because if it was much more you’d say “about 6 weeks” or similar. But this is a pretty informal term, so I doubt that there is a commonly agreed ‘definition’. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/or-so-how-long/609771/23 "2012-01-18T21:43:58Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > hijack: As someone who’s finally convinced her mid-30s brother than even something as simple as cooking penne pasta with storebought sauce needs the cook to Stay In The Kitchen, you have all my sympathy. Oh, for GOD’s sake, you just want to bang on their heads with a hammer! And stir the pasta now and then! And pay no attention to your mother: the salt goes in at the start, just like the instructions say. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/or-so-how-long/609771/24 "2012-01-18T21:54:57Z")
I would say it is equal to the initial unit of time +/- 25%. So a month or so is equal to 3-5 weeks, an hour or so is equal to 45-75 minutes. If it is a time estimate from a general contractor double all estimates for time or cost. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/or-so-how-long/609771/25 "2012-01-18T23:15:40Z")
In software development, “a day or so” means “sometime in the next few weeks” ---
**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/or-so-how-long/609771/26 "2012-01-19T17:08:11Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > I’m not so sure. It could be a tad more (or less) than a smidgen either way. I’ve always had the impression that it was just a ‘skosh’ more than a smidgen, but _ **less** _ than a tad. YMMV 😃 > [@madmonk28](#): > > I would say it is equal to the initial unit of time +/- 25%. So a month or so is equal to 3-5 weeks, an hour or so is equal to 45-75 minutes. _ **If it is a time estimate from a general contractor double all estimates for time or cost.** _ (bolding mine) Speaking as a General Contractor with over 25 years of experience, double the cost and _ **triple** _ the time is just a ‘skosh’ more accurate, IMHO. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/or-so-how-long/609771.md?page=1)